According to the Associated Press, a federal probation office report will recommend that Lori Drew receive probation for the three misdemeanor computer-fraud charges on which she was convicted last November. Drew is the so-called MySpace Mom whose online creation of a fictitious teenage boy has been blamed for in the suicide of an impressionable 13-year-old girl. 

Federal prosecutors are expected to counter that proposal with a stiffer sentence, possibly involving prison time, but the probation office's recommendation definitely poses a problem from U.S. Attorney Tom O'Brien, who last year took the unusual step of personally prosecuting Drew in a federal case that some court experts thought shaky at best. Drew was never charged with liability in the death of young Megan Meier, although O'Brien — who is frequently mentioned as a possible Republican candidate for California Attorney General — may have gambled that the compelling tragedy of Meier's suicide would be enough to persuade a jury to convict Drew on felony conspiracy charges.

At the time of the jury's split verdict Drew's lawyer, the low-keyed

but effective Dean Steward, asked Judge George Wu to throw out Drew's

misdemeanor convictions completely. In one of the case's ongoing

comedic set pieces, Wu — never known for his decisiveness — has yet

to rule on that five-month-old motion. Drew's sentencing is scheduled

for May 18.

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.